Comparison

Castle Smasher vs ArcEmu

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Castle Smasher

Launch boulders from a catapult to destroy enemy castles and conquer the kingdom. This updated version offers three distinct game modes, including challenges, classic arcade, and randomly generated target practice levels. Master the art of stone slinging to free prisoners and plunder treasures.

Highlights
  • Three game modes
  • 50 challenge levels
  • Classic arcade mode
  • Randomly generated target practice
  • Catapult upgrades
  • Free prisoners and recruit them
Features
Read full description

Ready, aim, fire! Load your catapult and SLING BOULDERS at the enemies' castles on a quest to CONQUER the kingdom. Castle Smasher v2 is the NEW and UPDATED version of the original web game that started a whole new sub-genre of catapult games back in 2007. Travel from castle to castle, challenge new tribes and rescue prisoners in this extended version packed with THREE game modes. Can you master the art of stone slinging? * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * FEATURES: - THREE game modes - 1: "Challenges" - new game mode with 50 LEVELS - 2: "Arcade" - the classic Castle Smasher game - 3: "Target Practice" - another new game mode with RANDOMLY GENERATED levels for maximum replay value - NO IN-APP PURCHASES: Buy once, own forever! - Cool catapult upgrades - Castles jam-packed with treasures and bonus items waiting to be plundered - Prisoners that can be freed and recruited to your army - Rock solid controls - Donut Games' Collectors Icon #02 - And much more... TECH STUFF: - Game Center support - Widescreen support - Universal App (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch support) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Enjoy another Donut Games release!

About

ArcEmu

Experience retro gaming on your Apple Watch, iPhone, and iPad. This emulator supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. Enjoy features like multiplayer, cheats, and customizable controls.

Highlights
  • Game Boy, GBC, GBA emulation
  • Multiplayer support
  • Cheat codes
  • Customizable on-screen controls
  • Save State sharing
  • iCloud support
Features
Read full description

Turn your Apple Watch into a retro game console. Play Game Boy, NES, SNES, Genesis, and more on your wrist, with multi-touch controls and the Digital Crown. ArcEmu also runs on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ▸ SUPPORTED CONSOLES Included for free: - Game Boy - Game Boy Color - Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) Available through in-app purchases: - Game Boy Advance - Pokémon Mini - Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) - Atari 2600 - Sega Mega Drive / Genesis - Sega Master System - Sega Game Gear - Sega SG-1000 ▸ MULTIPLAYER AND LINK CABLE Play home-console games online and locally with friends, or link Game Boy and Game Boy Advance games over the internet. Game Link Cable supports up to four players in compatible games. Online play requires a Game Center account. ▸ SHARE ROMs WITH A CODE Import your ROMs on iPhone, keep them in iCloud, and download them directly to Apple Watch or Apple TV. Share them through iCloud using a code, including with an Apple Watch configured with Family Setup. ▸ SCREEN AND CONTROLS Move and resize the game screen, choose an LCD or CRT filter, and set up the controls the way you like them. On Apple Watch, use multi-touch controls, customize the control layout, and assign actions to the Digital Crown. On iPhone and iPad, adjust button positions and transparency, and play in any orientation. Connect a controller and customize its button mappings, or use a second controller on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. ArcEmu also supports iPhone Duo. ▸ MORE FEATURES - Accurate, high-performance emulation - Fast-forward at 2×, 4×, or maximum speed - Slow motion at 0.5× speed - Cheat codes with a built-in database of popular codes - Touch-based light gun controls for NES and SNES - Custom Game Boy color palettes - Button hold/sustain - Accelerometer support - Gyroscope support on iPhone and iPad, with Digital Crown input on Apple Watch - Haptic feedback on iPhone ▸ YOUR ROMs AND SAVES Keep your collection organized with per-console folders, sorting, and search. Import ROMs from ZIP and 7-Zip archives, use automatic saving, and share save states between devices. Both ROMs and save states can be stored in iCloud. ▸ APPLE WATCH COMPATIBILITY - Apple Watch Series 4 or later - Apple Watch SE or later - Apple Watch Ultra or later ArcEmu does not include any games or ROMs. ▸ GAMES FEATURED IN THE SCREENSHOTS - Acorn Grove: https://gibbongl.itch.io/acorn-grove - Big2Small: https://mdsteele.itch.io/big2small - Hauntsfield: https://alliemackie.itch.io/hauntsfield - µCity Advance: https://skylyrac.itch.io/ucity-advance Cheat codes may cause unexpected behavior or affect game stability and save data. ArcEmu is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Nintendo, Sega, or Atari. All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

Screenshots

Castle Smasher3 screens
ArcEmu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ArcEmu at Free against Castle Smasher's $1.99. ArcEmu also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 43). Castle Smasher's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ArcEmu is free to download; Castle Smasher costs $1.99 up front. ArcEmu sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Castle Smasher asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ArcEmu holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ArcEmu has 1.3K ratings behind it against 43, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Castle Smasher's written reviews are positive against 95% of ArcEmu's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Castle Smasher ships an update every 17 months, ArcEmu every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Castle Smasher versus ArcEmu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCastle SmasherArcEmu
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (43 ratings)4.9 (1.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.8% of reviews94.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings431.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB234 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDonut GamesRaffaele D'Amato

Customer experience

Castle Smasher

All ratings43 ratings
Positive95.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.7%
Written reviews445 reviews
Positive85.8%
Neutral5.4%
Negative8.8%

ArcEmu

All ratings1,333 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews533 reviews
Positive94.6%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.6%

User reviews

Castle Smasher

From 43 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Simple yet engaging
  • 👍 Relaxing and fun
  • 👍 Great classic mobile game
  • 👍 Numerous and well-designed levels

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 💡 Lack of new levels or updates
  • 💡 Difficulty scaling could be improved

ArcEmu

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fully functional
  • 🚀 Impressive emulation on Apple Watch
  • 👍 Great emulator for both phone and watch
  • 👍 Seamless save state transfer between devices
  • 👍 Customizable controls and layout

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with some games
  • 🐛 Audio quality problems on certain games
  • 👎 Limited functionality on Apple Watch
  • 👎 Difficult controls for action-heavy games on watch

Bugs and requests

Castle Smasher

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Compatibility issues with newer devices
  • Freezing or crashing on certain levels

Requested features

5 requests
  • New levels or level editor
  • Multiplayer or competitive modes
  • Additional gameplay modes or challenges
  • Customization options for catapult/castle
  • Ability to save progress and resume later

ArcEmu

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Occasional crashes
  • Graphical glitches with certain ROMs
  • Save data not transferring properly between devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add cheat/GameShark support
  • Improve volume controls
  • Implement fast forward/slow motion options
  • Allow multiple save slots per game
  • Improve Game Boy Color support
Show 1 more
  • Add joystick/button support for Apple Watch

In-app purchases

None

Castle Smasher

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

ArcEmu

One-time10
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 4)$0.99
  • Game Boy Advance$0.99
  • SNES$0.99
Show 7 more
  • Pokémon Mini$0.99
  • Atari 2600$0.99
  • Mega Drive / Genesis$0.99
  • Game Gear$0.99
  • Master System$0.99
  • SG-1000$0.99
  • Unlock All (Upgrade 3)$1.99

Questions

Is Castle Smasher free?
Castle Smasher costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ArcEmu free?
ArcEmu is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Castle Smasher or ArcEmu?
ArcEmu is rated higher. Castle Smasher averages 4.7 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while ArcEmu averages 4.9 from 1.3K ratings.
Do Castle Smasher or ArcEmu have ads?
Neither Castle Smasher nor ArcEmu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Castle Smasher or ArcEmu?
Castle Smasher ships an update every 17 months, and ArcEmu every 2 weeks. Most recently, Castle Smasher was updated on October 28, 2026 and ArcEmu on October 27, 2026.

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